NFL to increase international games, end home game protections

GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - APRIL 26: Green Bay Packers international fan of the year announces a pick during the during the third day of the 2025 NFL Draft on April 26, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images) | Getty Images By the end of the 2026 season, after the Dallas Cowboys play in Mexico City, the Green Bay Packers will have played the fewest games internationally of any NFL club. That could be changing in the near future.

On Tuesday, the NFL’s owners approved the league to schedule 10 international games moving forward, up from the 8 that are on the books for the 2026 season. Maybe more importantly, though, owners also passed a rule that takes away teams’ ability to block specific home games from playing overseas. Currently, teams have the right to protect two home opponents from being played at an international site.

This is significant because it’s been made known that the Detroit Lions wanted to keep their matchup against the Packers in Detroit, eliminating Green Bay from having to travel to Germany this year. On top of that, it’s also been rumored that the New Orleans Saints protected their game against the Packers, which kept Green Bay from a Paris matchup. Under these new rules, it’s possible the green and gold would have been playing overseas in 2026.

Due to a lot of different factors, the Packers have only played two games outside of the United States so far. Moving forward, though, it’s going to be harder and harder to keep Green Bay stateside for an entire regular-season slate.